The Indian Navy on Friday said that it successfully intercepted the Iranian Fishing Vessel ‘Al Kambar 786’, which had been hijacked. The incident occurred this evening, approximately 90 Nautical Miles South West of Socotra in the Arabian sea. It was reported that the vessel had been boarded by nine armed pirates. Further details awaited.
Tag: Arabian Sea
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Six Pakistan nationals held with drugs worth Rs 200 crore off Gujarat coast
By PTI
AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad in a joint operation with the Indian Coast Guard seized 40 kg heroin worth Rs 200 crore from a Pakistani fishing boat in the Arabian Sea off the Gujarat coast on Wednesday, a senior ATS official said.
Six Pakistani crew members of the boat were also apprehended, he said.
The fishing boat carrying drugs was intercepted mid-sea by a joint team of the Coast Guard and ATS near Jakhau harbour in Kutch district, the official said.
“The heroin was meant to be transported to Punjab by road after being offloaded on the Gujarat coast. Based on a specific tip- off, we intercepted the boat which left from Pakistan, and caught six Pakistani nationals with 40 kg of heroin,” he said.
The ATS and Coast Guard officials along with the seized boat are expected to reach the Jakhau coast later in the day, he said.
The state ATS and the Coast Guard had foiled similar attempts of drug smuggling in the past also and caught foreign nationals with huge quantities of narcotics which they planned to smuggle into India via the Gujarat coast.
AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad in a joint operation with the Indian Coast Guard seized 40 kg heroin worth Rs 200 crore from a Pakistani fishing boat in the Arabian Sea off the Gujarat coast on Wednesday, a senior ATS official said.
Six Pakistani crew members of the boat were also apprehended, he said.
The fishing boat carrying drugs was intercepted mid-sea by a joint team of the Coast Guard and ATS near Jakhau harbour in Kutch district, the official said.
“The heroin was meant to be transported to Punjab by road after being offloaded on the Gujarat coast. Based on a specific tip- off, we intercepted the boat which left from Pakistan, and caught six Pakistani nationals with 40 kg of heroin,” he said.
The ATS and Coast Guard officials along with the seized boat are expected to reach the Jakhau coast later in the day, he said.
The state ATS and the Coast Guard had foiled similar attempts of drug smuggling in the past also and caught foreign nationals with huge quantities of narcotics which they planned to smuggle into India via the Gujarat coast.
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‘Have taken serious note of the incident’: India on death of fisherman in firing by Pakistan maritime agency
By PTI
NEW DELHI: India has taken serious note of the Pakistani Maritime Security Agency resorting to unprovoked firing on an Indian fishing boat in the Arabian Sea that resulted in the death of an Indian national, official sources said on Sunday.
The incident took place on Saturday, they said.
They said the Pakistani Maritime Security Agency fired at the Indian fishing boat resulting in the death of one Indian fisherman and injuring another.
The injured fisherman is being treated at a hospital in Okha, Gujarat, they said.
“We have taken serious note of this incident. We are going to take up this issue diplomatically with the Pakistan side. The matter is under investigation and further details will be shared in due course,” said a source.
“A fisherman from Thane in Maharashtra, who was on a fishing boat ‘Jalpari,’ was killed after the PMSA personnel opened fire on him and other crew members on Saturday evening,” Devbhumi Dwarka Superintendent of Police Sunil Joshi said.
There were seven crew members on the boat and one of them also sustained a minor injury in the firing incident, he said.
The body of fisherman Sridhar Ramesh Chamre (32) was brought to Okha port on Sunday and an FIR was registered by the Porbandar Navi Bandar police, which has jurisdiction across Gujarat over any incident that occurs beyond 12 nautical miles in the Arabian sea, he added.
“Chamre was on the fishing boat ‘Jalpari’, which had sailed from Okha on October 25 with seven crew members, five of whom were from Gujarat and two from Maharashtra,” Joshi said.
Investigation into the incident was underway, he said.
In a statement, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) said: “The case is under investigation at present by police authorities and crew are being interviewed jointly. Details can be shared only after completion of the investigation.”
However, the ICG confirmed that there was a firing in which one person died and one person was injured.
When asked about Pakistan’s claim of arresting six “occupants” of the boat, the ICG responded: “Arrests not confirmed.
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Low pressure area moves to Gulf of Kutch, may intensify into cyclonic storm in Arabian Sea: IMD
By PTI
AHMEDABAD: The remnant of cyclone Gulab has turned into a depression, moved into the Gulf of Kutch and is likely to further intensify into a cyclonic storm in the Arabian Sea, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday.
Due to this weather system, heavy rains were witnessed in Gujarat’s Saurashtra region in the last 24 hours. The IMD has predicted heavy rains in the state’s coastal districts over the next two days.
“Yesterday’s well-marked low pressure area over south Gujarat region and adjoining Gulf of Khambhat moved west-northwestwards and emerged into the Gulf of Kutch, concentrated into a depression and lay centred there at 5:30 am today. It is about 50 km east-northeast of Devbhoomi Dwarka (Gujarat), 90 km east-southeast of Naliya (in Kutch) and 340 km east-southeast of Karachi (Pakistan),” an IMD release said.
The weather department said that it is very likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a deep depression over northeast Arabian Sea off north Gujarat coast during the next 12 hours. “It is then very likely to move further west-northwestwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm during the subsequent 24 hours. Thereafter, it is likely to continue to move west-northwestwards towards Pakistan-Makran coasts, moving away from the Indian coast,” the IMD said.
Heavy rainfall is expected for the next two days in the coastal districts of Jamnagar, Porbandar, Dwarka and Kutch, it said, and asked fishermen not to venture into the sea. Due to the present weather system, Junagadh, Amreli, Dwarka, Jamnagar and Rajkot districts received heavy rains in the last 24 hours, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said.
In the 24-hour period ending at 6 am on Thursday morning,Visavadar taluka in Junagadh district recorded 292 mm, Lilya in Amreli district received 141 mm downpour, while Khambhaliya and Kalyanpur in Devbhumi Dwarka distric got 140 mm and 135 mm rainfall, respectively, it added.
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Strong winds off Gujarat coast; fishermen asked not to venture into sea
By PTI
AHMEDABAD: The IMD on Sunday predicted squally weather and strong winds off the Gujarat coast along with heavy rains in some parts of the state till July 14, and advised fishermen not to venture into the Arabian Sea.The Ahmedabad centre of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) also forecast high sea waves in the range of 2.5-3.6 metres during the next two days along the north Gujarat coast between Jakhau and Diu.
“Squally weather with wind speed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph very likely along and off north and south Gujarat coasts and over northern Arabian Sea from July 11-14,” the MeT office said.
“Fishermen are advised not to venture along and off north and south Gujarat coasts and over northwest Arabian Sea from July 11-14,” it said.
In its latest bulletin, the MeT department also said many places in Gujarat, including Saurashtra-Kutch region, and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu will receive light to moderate rainfall between July 11 and 14.
Some parts of south Gujarat are also likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall, it said.
As per the IMD, Gujarat has received 48 per cent less than average rainfall so far during the current monsoon season.
Out of the total 33 districts in Gujarat, only three have so far received normal showers this season, 21 received “deficient” rainfall, while nine have recorded rainfall classified under the “large deficient” category, the IMD said.
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EXPLAINER | Why are cyclones more frequent in India this year?
Express News Service
NEW DELHI: A week after Cyclone Tauktae wreaked havoc in several states, the country is now bracing for second cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal and the credit for the cyclogenesis can be given to exceptionally warmer Indian seas this year, making atmospheric and ocean conditions favourable for frequent formation of cyclones and their rapid intensification, says experts.Threshold value for sea surface temperatures (SSTs) for the formation of cyclones is 28 degree Celsius. At present, SST over Bay of Bengal as well as Arabian Sea is around 31-32 degree Celsius. Rapid intensification is expected to continue to become much more frequent this century with continued climate change. One study found that intensification rates that happen once a century now could happen every 5-10 years by 2100.
Dr Roxy Mathew Koll, Scientist, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Lead Author, IPCC Oceans and Cryosphere, said: “Similarity between Cyclone Yaas and Tauktae is that both are preceded by very high sea surface temperatures reaching 31-32 degree Celsius. These high temperatures were conducive for cyclone Tauktae to intensify into an extremely severe cyclone in a short time. Similarly, high temperatures are predicted to assist Yaas also for intensifying rapidly.”
He further says that there is one difference. Tauktae spent several days in the Arabian Sea where it could draw the heat and moisture continuously, reaching peak intensity of more than 220 km/hr.
ALSO READ | Cyclone Yaas: Odisha port issues ‘Signal 10’ danger warning ahead of landfall
“In the case of Yaas, it has formed in the north Bay of Bengal, and the travel distance to landfall is shorter. As a result, it won’t get a long period over the ocean to blow up to the intensity of Tauktae. Here the common thread is that rising ocean temperatures in both the basins are assisting these cyclones in their rapid intensification process. Otherwise, we don’t see a significant increase in the number of cyclones over the Bay of Bengal as we see in the Arabian Sea,” he said.
According to Mahesh Palawat, Meteorologist, Skymet Weather, the credit for the cyclogenesis can be given to climate change.
Indian seas have been exceptionally warmer than usual this year, making atmospheric and ocean conditions favourable for frequent formation of cyclones and their rapid intensification. Rapid intensification is the key point to focus on, as it will have direct impact on rainfall, destruction in terms of floods and gusty winds and evacuation process, added Palawat.
Mahesh Palawat added, “Although the intensity of Cyclone Yaas would be less than that of Tauktae but it would be quite strong in terms of Damage. At the time of landfall, Yaas is likely to give flooding rains along with sustained wind speed of 165-175 kmph gusting upto 185 kmph. Coastal Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal and Jharkhand are expected to be on red alert for widespread torrential rains and damaging winds.”
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Cyclone Tauktae: 22 bodies recovered from sunk barge, 55 still missing, says Navy
By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: As many as 22 out of the 75 people missing from the barge that sank in the Arabian Sea after getting caught in a severe cyclonic storm are confirmed dead, , confirmed the Indian Navy.“Bodies of 22 persons have been fished out and they are being brought to shore.”
The barge ‘Papaa-305’ had 261 persons on board when it got caught in the storm earlier this week. Of these, 188 persons were rescued. In a statement the Navy said, “188 survivors including two ex Tug Varaprada rescued & 22 Brave Natures Victims (BNV) recovered so far. INS Kochi returned to Mumbai with survivors /BNV.”
As many as 55 persons are still missing. The search and rescue effort is continuing, said the Navy.
This barge as well as two other barges that were hit by the cyclone were deployed by Afcons for a contract it had got from state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).
The cyclone sank P-305, which had living quarters for employees working offshore, while two other construction barges lost anchors and drifted away.
ALSO READ | East coast may see cyclone formation, likely to hit West Bengal, Odisha coast by May 27
About 600 employees on the three barges belonged to Afcons. Besides the barges, one drilling rig of ONGC ‘Sagar Bhushan’ with 101 people on board (37 ONGC employees and 64 contractual workers), too drifted away from its location.
Sources said all the 137 persons onboard barge ‘Gal Constructor’, which runs aground about 48 nautical miles north of Mumbai’s Colaba Point, have been rescued.
Also, 201 persons onboard barge ‘Support Station-3’ as well as ONGC’s drillship ‘Sagar Bhushan’ too have been brought to safety.
Cyclone Tauktae made landfall on Monday night on the Gujarat coast, which is dotted with oil and gas installations.
While the offshore has fields producing oil and gas, the coast houses two big refineries and some of the busiest ports.
The cyclone, whose intensity is similar to the one that hit Gujarat in 1998, has weakened thereafter.
Helpline numbers have been issued for assistance of the relatives of the rescued personnel.
AFCONS Helpdesk and Support Team: Karandeep Singh – +919987548113 and 022-71987192 and Prasun Goswami – 8802062853
ONGC Helpline: 022-2627 4019, 022-2627 4020 and 022-2627 4021
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Depression over Arabian Sea intensifies into Cyclone Tauktae, to cross Gujarat coast around May 18: IMD
By PTI
NEW DELHI: The deep depression over the Arabian Sea has intensified into cyclonic storm Tauktae and is likely to cross the Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Naliya around May 18, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday.It said Tauktae will be a very severe cyclonic storm from May 16-18.
In a bulletin released at 1:45 PM, the IMD said, “It (Tauktae) is very likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during the next six hours and into a very severe cyclonic storm during the subsequent 12 hours.
It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and cross the Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Naliya around 18th May afternoon/evening.”
Both the Centre and states have been gearing up to deal with the cyclone that has been building up over the Arabian Sea for days now.
Later in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold an important meeting to review preparations to deal with the impending Cyclone Tauktae, according to government sources.
The National Disaster Response Force has increased from 53 to 100 the number of teams earmarked to undertake relief and rescue measures in the aftermath of the cyclone.
The Central Water Commission has also issued a moderate to high risk alert over watersheds in central and northern parts of Kerala, adjoining south coastal and south interior Karnataka.
The government machinery in Goa has put in place necessary measures to tackle the situation in view of the warning about Cyclone Tauktae.
According to the IMD, Konkan and Goa are expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall on May 15 and 16.
The Goa Fire and Emergency Services said it has kept its personnel ready to tackle the situation.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has directed the authorities in coastal districts of the state to remain alert and well-equipped to tackle the situation.